Last December, I featured T.S. Eliot's Journey of The Magi, which is by far my favorite Christmas poem; Eugene Field's Jest 'Fore Christmas, one of the great American seasonal classics; and Thomas Hardy's The Oxen, a lesser known work, but still one of the best Christmas poems ever written. This year, on the theory that this poetry project of mine will be around for many more Christmases to come, I thought that one seasonal verse would do, so I chose the appropriately named poem, Christmas, by that giant of a poet, John Betjeman.

Betjeman ranks among the finest modern day English language poets. He was an immensely well-loved and well-known public figure in England during his life, thought by many to be that nation's most popular 20^th century poet laureate. In reviewing numerous articles about Betjeman and his work, I decided that the following sentences, the first from the Cambridge Guide to Literature in English and the second from Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia, together do a near perfect job of pithily describing the poet whose work I have come to love over the years. This from the Cambridge Guide:

Technically conservative and deceptively simple in its reliance on regular rhythms and well-worn rhymes, his poetry creates a wry comedy of middle-class life and aspirations that is shot through with sadness.

And this from Benet's:

In satirical light verse, Betjeman's poems celebrate the English countryside and ordinary provincial and suburban life. They nostalgically evoke the Victorian era and a past or passing English culture.

As these sentences indicate, Sir John was a "conservative," in the sense that he cherished the permanent things about English life and the English people, and in doing so he gently reminded us Americans of our permanent debt to his country and his countrymen.

Please enjoy this wonderful Christmas poem. I pray that you all will have a great holiday season and very happy New Year.